New agricultural worker visa scheme

On 6 September 2018 the Home Secretary and Environment Secretary announced an introduction of a new agricultural worker visa scheme.

This pilot scheme will allow British fruit and vegetables farmers to employ 2,500 workers from outside the EU, who would allegedly alleviate labour shortages during peak production periods.

The new scheme will commence in spring 2019 and will run until the end of December 2020. The Home Secretary Sajid Javid said that the new scheme “will ensure farmers have access to the seasonal labour they need to remain productive and profitable during busy times of the year”.

According to The Guardian, the new scheme has been criticised by farmers. They welcomed the new scheme as “a step to the right direction”, however, it “barely addresses needs of British summer fruit and vegetable growers, who employ 60,000 workers a year.”

Introduction of the new pilot scheme for British farmers shows how the Home Office may deal with labour shortages post Brexit.

Please note that the information on this page is for general purposes only and is not intended to replace legal advice.